Dishonesty in Cruise Promotions

I’ve been monitoring prices on a couple of NCL cruises for Sep/Oct next year out of Copenhagen and Barcelona.

Yesterday I receive an email extending their freestyle offer from one item to two items (you get to choose from 4 promotions, beverage, internet, excursions or dining). Going on line I see that the price for each cruise has gone up by several hundred dollars coinciding with the offer.

Seeing as they use the words `free offer’ this is surely dishonest and would be illegal in retail.

Not just NCL it seems to be the norm, though often the wording is `promotion’ rather than `free’ which it certainly is not.

Yes it probably went up by a 50% of what offer is.

It's par for the course in the cruise market.

A lot of these originate in the US (as with your example) where there are fewer controls on marketing.

I’ve been monitoring prices on a couple of NCL cruises for Sep/Oct next year out of Copenhagen and Barcelona.

 

Yesterday I receive an email extending their freestyle offer from one item to two items (you get to choose from 4 promotions, beverage, internet, excursions or dining). Going on line I see that the price for each cruise has gone up by several hundred dollars coinciding with the offer.

 

Seeing as they use the words `free offer’ this is surely dishonest and would be illegal in retail.

 

Not just NCL it seems to be the norm, though often the wording is `promotion’ rather than `free’ which it certainly is not.

I dont see how you can say its dishonest...

Thats just the way it is. Prices move.

We all know how our dollar moves to the US dollar

Try tracking the Euro to the Aussie dollar.:eek:

I think you will find that anything you see that is free has been included in the price somewhere , or at some stage .

 

I think you will find that anything you see that is free has been included in the price somewhere , or at some stage .

 

 

 

It has to be. The cruise lines are in the business to make a profit. If they don't make a profit, poof, no cruise lines. I am pretty sure that is true in all countries.

I dont see how you can say its dishonest...

Thats just the way it is. Prices move.

We all know how our dollar moves to the US dollar

Try tracking the Euro to the Aussie dollar.:eek:

 

I think you will find that anything you see that is free has been included in the price somewhere , or at some stage .

 

 

 

Not the same thing. When I exchange currency I'm not being told I'm getting something for free. The ad says I'm getting something free whereas the price has gone up overnight to more than cover the `free' offer.

The ad says I'm getting something free whereas the price has gone up overnight to more than cover the `free' offer.

Seems fine to me. In fact it would have been perfectly fine for them to put the price up and given nothing extra in return, or even less than what was originally offered. That's their call & it's the punters call as to whether buy or not. I really do not see what your point is, and to call it "dishonesty"?

Reminds me of an old Two Ronnies sketch, where the customer complains that the price of £10 is £2 higher than the shop across the street & the shopkeeper says 'why didn't you buy it there then?'. The customer says "they didn't have any". Shopkeeper says "oh, when we don't have any, our price is only £5" :)

Seems fine to me. In fact it would have been perfectly fine for them to put the price up and given nothing extra in return, or even less than what was originally offered. That's their call & it's the punters call as to whether buy or not. I really do not see what your point is, and to call it "dishonesty"?

 

Reminds me of an old Two Ronnies sketch, where the customer complains that the price of £10 is £2 higher than the shop across the street & the shopkeeper says 'why didn't you buy it there then?'. The customer says "they didn't have any". Shopkeeper says "oh, when we don't have any, our price is only £5" :)

Except the only reason the price went up was to cover the cost of the benefits. It is misleading to the customer as they are lead to believe that they are getting a better deal, when in fact they are not as the cruise never actually sold for the price they are saying it is selling for.

Imagine going to buy some bread. One day the bread is $2 then you go back the next day the bread costs $4 but they have 50% signs everywhere so it is only $2, this makes the bread look more attractive due to the potential savings, when they never sold for $4 anyway. This is pretty much the same idea.

Only the cruise lines add a benefit that makes it look more attractive but raise the cost to what it would be if the customer purchased it separately. It is even getting customers who may not of brought the package and would of opted to just buy the cruise to get it. This really benefits the cruise line as packages such as drink packages rarely work out in the customers favour, especially when the customer wouldn't of purchased it anyway.

Best thing you can do is monitor the prices yourself. Find the cruise you are interested in. Create an excel spreadsheet and note the prices & their inclusions. When the cruise hits a price point you are willing to pay then book it.

As others have said the cruise lines are a business and their aim is to make maximum profits.

But can you prove that was the "only" reason price went up rather than a part of the normal price movements, a bit like fuel prices.

But can you prove that was the "only" reason price went up rather than a part of the normal price movements, a bit like fuel prices.

Well when they do it so consistently the only other option of it being a coincidence just gets thrown out the window. There is no way that time and time again they start a sale and then fuel prices cause tickets to go up that same day. It is far too common for that to be a cause.

Well when they do it so consistently the only other option of it being a coincidence just gets thrown out the window. There is no way that time and time again they start a sale and then fuel prices cause tickets to go up that same day. It is far too common for that to be a cause.

My bad I meant fuel (petrol) prices on land, they go up and down all the time as do cruise fares, proving what causes the price changes at any given time is the problem.

Best thing you can do is monitor the prices yourself. Find the cruise you are interested in. Create an excel spreadsheet and note the prices & their inclusions. When the cruise hits a price point you are willing to pay then book it.

 

As others have said the cruise lines are a business and their aim is to make maximum profits.

Agreed! But also make sure that your spreadsheet covers all your cruise costs ie if you like a few drinks then include the cost of those or the cost of a drinks package, if you like speciality dining then add those costs, ditto for excursions. If you don't you could suffer serious "sticker shock" if those onboard costs are higher than expected.

And, for cruises where the onboard costs are in USD, check out what exchange rate the cruise line is offering for OBC. Sometimes you can save heaps by buying OBC before you cruise.

Except the only reason the price went up was to cover the cost of the benefits. It is misleading to the customer as they are lead to believe that they are getting a better deal, when in fact they are not as the cruise never actually sold for the price they are saying it is selling for.

 

Imagine going to buy some bread. One day the bread is $2 then you go back the next day the bread costs $4 but they have 50% signs everywhere so it is only $2, this makes the bread look more attractive due to the potential savings, when they never sold for $4 anyway. This is pretty much the same idea.

 

Only the cruise lines add a benefit that makes it look more attractive but raise the cost to what it would be if the customer purchased it separately. It is even getting customers who may not of brought the package and would of opted to just buy the cruise to get it. This really benefits the cruise line as packages such as drink packages rarely work out in the customers favour, especially when the customer wouldn't of purchased it anyway.

Spot on.

The issue is they're saying it's free - when it's not. It does become inclusive, but they're saying something else.